Pakistan is in the throes of a death wish. The Sunni extremists were targeting the mosques of the Shia and the Ahmedia's in Pakistan. But this was expected because of the deep animosity between the two sects. But what is not expected that a holy man, a custodian of a shrine goes on a killing spree? this is, unfortunately, the case and has happened at Sargodha a fairly large town about 160 km west of Lahore in the Pakistan Punjab The Punjab of Pakistan is the mirror image of Indian Punjab.the only difference is that Pakistan Punjab has umpteen mosques, while in Indian Punjab
there are so many gurudwaras.News has been reported that the Imam or custodian of a mosque in Sargodha drugged 20 of the worshipers and after they had become unconscious, hit them with a club on the back of their neck and killed all 20 of them. This gruesome crime was only detected when the worshipers did not return home. The matter was reported to the police who reached the mosque and saw the dead bodies. Three have survived and are now undergoing treatment in the hospital. The Imam who was not available was arrested from the nearby fields.
The Imam is in police custody and will be charged with murder, but this is small solace to the relations of the 20 who have
been killed. Probably y the Imam was a deranged person. But now reports have emanated that even earlier he used to have weird practices and many time tortured his devotees. As the devotees had blind faith they allowed him his rituals. This is the bane of the sub-continent: blind faith in called men of god, the babas, and Pirs. I wonder if this will ever stop.The killing of the men in a Mosque is a terrible crime. But one wonders how the Imam reached so far. Why was he not reported earlier? perhaps he had powers of hypnotism and entranced his audience. There is another case of a Pir in Punjab who impregnated 300 women who slept with him in the hope of begetting a son. This was also a bizarre case but the Pir is now arrested, but there is none to testify against him. After who will testify against such a man in the closed society we live in?
The Imam who killed 20 will no doubt be punished, but the Masjid where 20 were killed will remain; a mute witness to the wrath of man in the name of god
